Lane Limited Captain Black Original (Regular)

Like for many others, this was the first pipe tobacco I ever smoked, nearly 20 years ago now.

A lot of people on here seem to be having some problems understanding this blend. Gentleman - you're not going into this expecting a premium, hand crafted pipe tobacco. Some people are acting like they were expecting an 18 year old Macallan, but got Johnny Walker Red instead. The trick with this tobacco is to accept it for what it is.

All of that said though, I still enjoy this from time to time, simply because I don't have high expectations for it, nostalgia, and the incredible room note. Really, the room note is superb. No one will ever complain when you are smoking this. In fact, they will probably come up to you simply to get a better smell of what you're smoking.

It doesn't offer a lot of nicotine, but the flavor is pretty nice. The vanilla is not too artificial (I've had much, much worse) or sickly sweet. I think the balance here is pretty great to be honest. I think this is exactly what the blenders were going for and they've accomplished that - a wonderful smelling tobacco which is easy to smoke, easy to maintain, and easy to enjoy. And despite being pretty moist out of the pouch, it's not a blend that really bites, either.

Sometimes you just want a greasy, $4 burger. This is exactly that. It's not a gourmet offering and it was never meant to be. And while I do love my Dunhill's, Solani's and Gawith blends, I just don't look at this the same way. Captain Black White is like an old friend, one which I don't visit or talk to very often, but when I do, it's like we've never parted, and we pick up right where we left off.

Some reviewers make this out to be some horrific blend but it really isn't. I mean, if you want a really horrific blend, just grab a pouch of Borkum Riff Whiskey. Compared to that, Captain Black White is like a work of high art. So just take it for what it is and enjoy. It's a classic in its own right.

Captain Black, was the pipe tobacco smoked by real men. Like our Fathers and Grandfathers and salty Uncles. Men who chopped cords of wood all day, took our Scout Troop camping or canoeing, taught us how to hunt, tie knots, build fires, in a phrase... be MEN. They weren't Lords or Dukes from England wearing panty hose and ruffled shirts and powdered wigs.

The Captain is common. It's average. It's a known quantity. It's not something a tobacco mad scientist cooked up with 10 different ingredients. And those around you don't wretch with nausea. It's mild, pleasant, and smokes cool and consistent. It's a drug store tobacco. It's a great beginner tobacco.

But, reading the reviews on here, a lot of people are "better than us." Snobs, spoiled, privileged, or at least want others to think so.

Everything sucks, right snobs? Vinyl records suck, right? Because now there's MP3's and streaming music on your smartphone!! And cigarettes suck because there's e-cigs where you can crank the Nicotine content through the roof and blast a cloud of vapor that used to only come from the stacks on a textile factory. Wood stoves suck because now there's central heat/AC with digital thermostats. And cameras and computers suck because your smartphone does it all with mobile Internet and a 12MP camera.

There's a reason that Captain Black has been around this long, and it's NOT because it SUCKS! Things that SUCK don't survive in the marketplace; Yugos, Teddy Ruxpins, Hayden Christensen, etc..

But everyone is entitled to their opinion, if yours is that CB sucks, then don't buy it. Apparently enough people still do for it to remain in business after all these years.

I'm going to come right out and say that this is one of those tobaccos people like to make fun of or give the impression they are "better than" in some way. Is Captain Black the greatest pipe tobacco in the world? No... Is it a master blend of flavor and quality? No... Is it a tobacco you can buy in the same store you buy couch syrup, band aids and deodorant? Yes... So for those who have given Captain Black bad reviews because they somehow feel like they are the only one telling the Emperor he isn't wearing clothes, I got news for you... You aren't telling us anything new. It's a (OTC) drugstore pipe tobacco, I wasn't expecting it to be the most fantastic tobacco I ever smoked for the same reason I don't expect a Big Mac to be the most incredible burger I've ever eaten in my life.

Now for the rest of us... Captain Black Regular was the first pipe tobacco I ever smoked. It's a classic and even if it isn't the greatest tobacco in the world I enjoy a pouch of it from time to time. Whenever I meet someone who is interested in pipe smoking I usually point them in the direction of Captain Black or Half and Half.

1. It's available just about everywhere. 2. Most people like the smell. 3. Once you get the hang of it you won't burn your mouth. 4. If you don't like it your only out a few bucks.

Trying to put Captain Black up against "high quality" pipe tobaccos from companies like Cornell & Diehl or Hearth & Home isn't exactly a fair comparison. It's like putting a Chevy Aveo up against a Dodge Viper... Yeah they are both cars but one is built to get you back and forth to work... the other is built to make you feel better about getting old... I will let you pick which is which. So if you are looking for a high quality tobacco with subtle complexities and hints of this or that... I wouldn't go with Captain Black. If you are looking for a classic "Pipe" smoke that smells the way you remember pipe smoke smelling when you were a kid. Bingo this is it!

At the end of the day Captain Black is a pipe tobacco that most people have fond memories of. You may have moved on and found better blends of higher quality tobaccos but you shouldn't look down on your humble beginnings. It might not be an everyday smoke. It might be a little fake tasting now that you know better. It might be your guilty pleasure from time to time. But for a pipe tobacco that doesn't claim to be anything other than a pipe tobacco it's fantastic for what it is. Personally I think it's great in a Cob around a camp fire drinking a few beers.

I like this a lot.This is like the band ABBA.No one admits to liking this or even had smoked it but they have sold millions of records(Yea ,I'm old)for decades.You can find this everywhere,smell it everywhere.It is exactly what it says it is.Mild,full vanilla,soft on the pallet(to me).This is a tobacco with loads of flavor, not just flavored air. One match light.Anyone with a sweet tooth will be rewarded with a dessert type smoke.You will need to use pipe cleaners during your smoke and a good pipe cleaning is necessary afterward.Dedicate a pipe for this tobacco.It flies in a corncob.It is not intended for your Dunhill or grade 19 Nording,but that is up to you.It's funny,most people think that this is a summertime smoke,and thats fine,but I tend to smoke this inside in the winter.(My wife ,son & cats love it) and I take my strongest tobacco outside in the summer(read:Latakia)I could'nt smoke this all the time but I do find it"s delicious,smells great and even though the nic level is low,very satisfying.Newbees & vets should appreciate this aromatic. I like ABBA too.

This is called a drug store tobacco, but most drug stores do not sell tobacco like this any more. And, that is the problem. When you first open the pouch there is a smell of some vanilla and some Burley and Cavendish. It packs well and lights well. It is very simple and offers a mild, gentle, and aromatic smoke. Just pack and light. No need to over think this one. It is kind of like an aromatic bowl of Prince Albert. It smells a whole lot better and is Cavendish to the core. I only say that, like the Prince, it is a reliable friend and makes no demands of you. The flavor remains consistent throughout the bowl. The ash is nice and jumps out of the pipe on the first or second knock. The problem I mentioned above is that this type of tobacco sold great when a guy would wonder in and need a pouch of something while the wife shopped or to take to the game and not offend the crowd around him. I had to buy this online and that puts it up against a lot of brands and blends that are comparable in price and characteristics. E. A. Carey's Crystal comes to mind. I am not sure that tobaccos like this will do well in a tight market like this. This is particularly true then those that remember buying it at their local drug store pass on and the younger generations only know fancy tobacco shop blends or online bulks. I truly hope I am wrong.

I had to try this classic aromatic. The Black Cavendish is the ''dominant'' flavor for half of the smoke with some chemical casing that wants to be vanilla. After a while, the chemical enhancement is the only thing that I draw from my pipe. This is the moment I quit wasting my time and reach for a better mixture. I am sorry to say that not even nostalgia, as I smoked this tobacco 20 years ago, could save it from the one star rating. It was a sample from a fellow pipe smoker who now wants to get rid of it. I took it as a comic relief experience after trying so many amazing mixtures. I needed a reminder that pipe smoking is a privilege in these days of political correctness.

Virginia lover

This is potpourri for hipsters. This was the first tobacco I ever tried in a pipe, occasionally still smoke it just for the smell but wish it had some nic to it. In Canada where I am its $22.95! not worth the inflated price, there are so many better bulk aro offerings for a far better price online like Lane Q-1 or RLP-6. Don't waste your time or money on this. Oh and it will soak your pipe.

Please read my Captain Black Gold notes and add some more chemicals and sweet patisserie stuff.

I don?t think there is any relatively young pipe smoker out there who has not at one point tried either Captain Black White, Lane?s 1Q,Borkum Riff Bourbon, Clan or Gold Block (if English)/Prince Albert (if American). Of these rather common and easily obtainable blends, I believe Captain Black is perhaps the most popular and in many ways the best one, although Prince Albert should be set aside in the sense it is one of the few non aromatic drug store blends. In reading the previous reviews I get the feeling that most of my fellow smokers express a legitimate nostalgia regarding this blend. I couldn?t agree more. Many a pipe smoker owes CBW his/her initial acquaintance with what is properly defined as a ?gentle art? rather than a habit or vice. The abundance of chunky vanilla flavoured Black Cavendish, with ribbon cut brown and light Burleys has become something of a classic. Not difficult to pack, though it may take some time before actually get it going, and virtually bite free, this mild to medium strength smoke is truly satisfying and pleasant. Most non smokers (or at least non pipe smokers) readily accept CBW as "the" traditional pipe aroma, to the point that some friends once told me I should quit smoking that ?cheap? stuff (referring to My Mixture 965), and go back to what they called the ?classy and elegant? CBW. With all of the above reviews I definitely recommend this either as a beginner?s tobacco or else as a nice, now and then change of pace, especially if in the need to please one?s company.